Empathy
by FreakingOutAlways
Summary: Being captured tends to really mess you up. Nightmares and all that Jazz. Nico wanted to watch Tv to forget his troubles. He found something better. Someone who understood. Not intended to be slash but whatever floats you boat.


Nico woke up with his throat on fire, panting like he had just raced a marathon and his heart pounding so hard there was a real chance it could implode in on itself and collapse.

Nico spent a good ten minutes thrashing about in the sheets, getting all cocooned in the process before he remembered where he was. His cabin, on the Argo2, the Greek warship crafted to ship the chosen seven demigods on their quest to save Olympus. Again.

Nico allowed himself to relax, and fell back into his multiple pillows (courtesy of Hazel) and fought valiantly against the urge to start sobbing. He would take a while to get used to it he knew; waking up with no-one there waiting to hurt you, being able to breathe, and something other than the darkness of your own mind pressing against you. Being safe. He never imagined that it would be so damn _hard_.

Slowly, wincing at the pain throbbing in his ribs and legs, Nico climbed out of bed and padded painfully down to the main lounge area. He was never going o be able to sleep for a while, and TV of the twenty first century often helped him to drift off. Especially if there was a documentary about Steam Trains on again. But if Jurassic Park happened to be rerunning, that was all good as well. As he entered the well furnished, plush living space, he noticed that he was not alone.

'Hey Percy'

Nico's voice was still horrible hoarse and throaty and stung to use but it still made his cousin jump in the still silence of the room.

'Hey Death Breath'

Percy narrowed his eyes at him. Nico wished he wouldn't. Percy's sea green eyes were intense. They could make you want to forget you troubles and hug random people or make you fear for your life. Right now, they just made Nico feel incredible uneasy, like there was no secrets that could be hidden.

'You look like Hades' Percy stated bluntly. He had never been one for tact and his brain and his mouth were apparently not on speaking terms. Although he did sound concerned. Then again, Percy was concerned about everyone. That was why he was loved by everyone he met. Even Clarisse, although she would rather wear a dress than admit to it. It was all part of the Percy charm.

'Well he is my Dad' Nico answered lightly, not mentioning the fact that his so called father really didn't give so much as a cursed flying monkey's fart about him and if he did, then he had a really funny way of showing it, seeing how the last time he had seen him had been at the end of the battle of New York. Well, Olympus had been on shutdown but Dionysus had made an appearance, as had Aphrodite and Nemesis from what he had heard. And Hades couldn't have given him a bit of help busting out of that jar?

Percy wasn't looking amused at Nico'sadmittedly rather weak joke.

'You know what I mean'

Percy shifted sideways and patted the space next to him.

'Sit'

Nico sat. It was generally a good idea to do what Percy said, just in cae he wa in one of those moods that meant being near water was a very good idea. Seeing how they were right over the ocean, Nico decreed that it was better to be safe than sorry.

'Nightmare?' Percy asked softly. Nico nodded reluctantly, afraid he would get the inevitable, 'Oh, no! Tell me what it was about you'll feel better afterwards' talk. He had forgotten who he was talking to. Percy didn't ask. He simply made an annoyed sound in his throat that could only be called a growl that meant something along the lines of; 'tell me about it bro, nightmares suck and so do our lives'

Just because Percy didn't ask, that made Nico want to tell him.

'I was back in that jar' Nico blurted out suddenly, before he could change his mind, which incidentally was screaming at him to _shut up!_ . Percy frowned, but leant back waiting for him to continue.

'Only this time. . .' Nico licked his dry lips, but it did nothing. His tongue was like sandpaper.

'This time you didn't come'

For a moment, Nico stared hard at the opposite wall, trying his bloody hardest no tto blink, because his eyes were suddenly very hot and wet and he _couldn't_ cry, he _wouldn't_. . .

Then Percy pulled him into a hug and he let it all out anyway, sobbing into Percy's chest like a baby. Once he started, he couldn't stop. It went on like that for a while before Nico could pull himelf back together. He sat up and tried to move away, but Percy wouldn't budge, a serious look on his once easy going face. Nico noticed how Percy's shirt, despite his tears was still dry. Stupid son of the sea god powers.

'Percy. . .' he tried, trying to wriggle away.

'No' Percy's voice was sharp. 'You think after that I'm going to let you walk out of here?' he glanced down at Nico's leg.

'Well, hobble. But the point still stands, no freaking way'

Nico recognised that look. It was the same one Percy had on when he went to go rescue Annabeth, the one he had when Nico had gone a little bit screwy, and Percy came to drag him back to Camp Halfblood.

'You do know I would have come to get you right?' Percy asked. 'Even if Hazel hadn't driven us all crazy with her worrying, we would've come'

Nico didn't respond. He felt as if he was going to start bawling again. Everyone had left him, or been taken away. His Mom, Bianca, even Percy, who was the closest thing (beyond the God and Thalia) to family that Nico had left. He had honestly thought, in that dome, alone, with only his fears to accompany him, that there would be no-one _left _to come.

'No' was the only word he could choke out, however. 'No, I didn't'

'Well then you're a bigger idiot than I thought' Percy said sternly, whacking him lightly upside the head, earning a yelp from the younger boy.

'And that' s coming from a seaweed brain. Family sticks together Di Angelo, and don't you forget it'

Nico vaguely remembered Annabeth telling him that Luke had said something like that once. As he drifted back to sleep, completely forgetting what and who he was lying on, Nico thought, drowsily, that when it came from Percy, it sounded a whole lot more sirncere.


End file.
